Question
Issue: How to Uninstall Traffic Factory?
Please help me to uninstall Traffic Factory completely. Whenever I delete it from the Programs & Features, it eventually reinstalls itself automatically. What am I doing wrong?
Solved Answer
Traffic Factory, that is provided by Traffic F S.R.O. is an advertising platform, which is supposed to increase web traffic, control people’s budget, provide real-time statistics, geo-targeting, real-time bidding, and other features related to advertising and profit-making. Unfortunately, Traffic Factory app falls under “adware”[1] and potentially unwanted program (PUP) categories.
This means that the developer of Traffic Factory software and, naturally, subscribers of the service (online business companies), exploit unfair methods for the distribution of this application and neglect the provisions of legitimate online advertising and marketing. It is known that adware programs are mostly distributed only for income-gaining purposes that can be achieved through the pay-per-click marketing technique.
People who have accidentally installed this Traffic Factory virus complain about irritating pop-ups, pop-unders,[2] banners, in-text, and other types of ads generated by the trafficfactory(dot)biz domain. Now, third-party advertisements are not only irritating and disruptive. Security experts have registered thousands of instances when third-party ads redirected people into potentially or seriously dangerous web domains.
Traffic Factory adware is spread by bundled installers.[3] In other words, it is attached to various free programs as an additional web browser add-on and is installed by default if a PC’s owner selects Quick or Basic installation option. When installed, it injects an add-on and tracking cookies into the default web browser whether it’s Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Opera. The problem is that Traffic Factory collects web browsing activities and may further use the gathered information for advertising purposes.
Even though Traffic Factory ads don't bother you, we would strongly recommend removing the adware because its service is not going to provide any benefit. Instead of that, it will negatively affect the PC’s performance. Besides, potentially unwanted programs are capable of redirecting to other suspicious domains which can be potentially dangerous due to the fact that malware might be lurking on any type of unprotected websites.
What you need to do here is to uninstall Traffic Factory from your computer system and infected web browser applications. Down below you will find some guiding steps that have been provided by our security experts. Make sure that each adware-related product is removed with big care, otherwise, the ad-supported application might renew itself within the next computer or browser boot.
How to Uninstall Traffic Factory?
Traffic Factory removal can be initiated either manually or automatically. We would strongly recommend removing this potentially unwanted program using a powerful anti-malware tool, say Reimage. This method is especially handy for people that lack knowledge or skills in the malware removal field or just want to complete the process in a more effective and safe way.
However, you can uninstall Traffic Factory with the help of manual removal guidelines that our experts have provided you with. Scroll down and you will find detailed elimination steps for your Windows operating system and web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge.
Step 1. Reboot your computer in Safe Mode
IMPORTANT: Traffic Factory may install Browser Helper Objects (BHO), which may block anti-virus programs and the removal of the adware. Therefore, Traffic Factory uninstall steps should be performed while booted in Windows Safe Mode. For this purpose, reboot your PC. Press Troubleshoot on the Windows Startup screen and click Advanced Options. Then opt for Startup Settings and click Restart. To enable Safe Mode, press F5 and let the system to boot up fully.
Step 2. Eliminate the PUP via Control Panel
- Go to Start and click on Control Panel. You can do that by right-clicking on the Windows key.
- When in Control Panel, open Programs & Freatures (this option may differ according to the Windows version).
- Locate the Traffic Factory tool in the list of installed programs. Click it and select the Uninstall option. Check for other suspicious and unfamiliar apps and uninstall them as well.
Step 3. Get rid of bogus products from your web browser
Once you are finished with the previous steps, you can continue by eliminating the adware program from your web browser applications. We will start with Google Chrome:
- Go to the More section which will appear as three dots on your upper right of the browser window.
- Launch the Settings option and continue with Advanced Settings.
- Afterward, go to Reset Settings.
- Click this option one more time to save the changes.
- Restart your machine.
The highest possibility of Traffic Factory appearance is related to Google Chrome as this web browser is one of the most commonly used browser programs. However, this does not mean that you cannot be infected with this PUP while using other apps such as Firefox, Edge, or Explorer. If you are using another default web browser and it has been hijacked by Traffic Factory, please refer to the following pages:
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Edge
Internet Explorer
Another Traffic Factory removal option would be the automatical variant. For this purpose, you may use any professional and necessarily updated anti-malware. Reimage would be a great solution if you ask. This tool will scan the entire computer system in a couple of minutes of time and detect all infected sources and provide all threats found.
Get rid of programs with only one click
You can uninstall this program with the help of the step-by-step guide presented to you by ugetfix.com experts. To save your time, we have also selected tools that will help you carry out this task automatically. If you are in a hurry or if you feel that you are not experienced enough to uninstall the program by your own, feel free to use these solutions:
This patented repair process uses a database of 25 million components that can replace any damaged or missing file on user's computer.
To repair damaged system, you have to purchase the licensed version of Reimage malware removal tool.
About the author
Ugnius Kiguolis is the founder and editor-in-chief of UGetFix. He is a professional security specialist and malware analyst who has been working in IT industry for over 20 years.
References
- ^ Margaret Rouse. Adware. Search Security. Tech Target.
- ^ Pop-Under Ad. Marketing Terms. Dictionary.
- ^ How Does Adware Spread?. ComboFix. Technology articles.
